Ivanka Trump moving into house near 2 Orthodox synagogues

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are moving into a house near two of Washington, D.C.’s most popular Orthodox synagogues.

JTA, 04/01/17 04:54

Ivanka Trump

Reuters

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are moving into a house near two of Washington, D.C.’s most popular Orthodox synagogues.

A real estate agent working for Washington Fine Properties and multiple other real estate sources told the Washingtonian on Tuesday that the power couple is moving to a house in the city's tony Kalorama neighborhood.

Their reported address (2449 Tracy Place, Northwest) leaves them within walking distance of the modern Orthodox Kesher Israel synagogue, which has boasted congregants such as former Sen. Joe Lieberman and Leon Wieseltier, and the Chabad Lubavitch movement’s D.C. outpost led by Rabbi Levi Shemtov. "The Shul," the Chabad synagogue, is closer, perhaps a ten-minute walk, while Kesher is a mile or so away.

Shemtov declined to comment on whether the family had approached him.

"I haven't commented, I can't comment now, I won't comment," he said.

Kesher has a high-powered membership, including Leon Wieseltier, a leading Jewish intellectual, and former ambassadors Norm Eisen (Prague) and Alfred Moses (Bucharest), as well as Mark Mellman, a top Democratic pollster.

The Chabad synagogue is lower key, without a formal membership. Like other shuls in the movement, it welcomes all comers and does not charge for High Holidays services. Its location near embassy row and its affiliation with the charismatic movement have over the years attracted prominent guests, including both Israeli chief rabbis and Jewish ambassadors from countries as diverse as Argentina, Bahrain, Costa Rica, and Georgia.

Trump and Kushner, who observe Shabbat, will also be less than two blocks from the Obamas, who plan on moving to the neighborhood after leaving the White House.

The property was sold for $5.5 million, but the Washingtonian reported that it was unclear if the couple bought the house or will be renting from a recent buyer.

President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his admiration for Kushner and wants him to advise his administration. When The New York Times asked Trump in November what exact role his son-in-law could play, he said “maybe nothing.”